Residue profile of PCB, PCN and CBz in fish, algae, MOSS and sediment from the polluted river Krupa (Slovenia)

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Abstract
The levels and residue profiles of contamination by polychlorobiphenyls (PCB), polychloronaphthalenes (PCN), and chlorobenzenes (CBz) in fish, moss, algae, sediment and water from the polluted river Krupa, Bela krajina, Slovenia, were investigated. PCB levels (sum of 37 congeners) in river water reached 0.2; PCN 0.001 (calculated as Halowax 1001) and CBz 0.08 (sum of tri‐ and tetra‐CBz) μg/L. PCB levels in algae, moss, sediment and fish reached 1.1, 4.4, 43 and 980 μg/g dry weight respectively; the corresponding PCN levels were below one tenth and CBz levels below one hundredth of those of PCB. The PCB level is in the range found for highly polluted rivers. Samples were analysed by high resolution GC/ECD and GC/MS. Separation of toxic coplanar PCB and PCN from non‐planar PCB congeners was performed on charcoal cartridges. The differences in enrichment of individual organochlorine compounds in indicators are discussed as a function of physicochemical properties and the time of exposure: a longer exposure time leads to increased bioconcentration. Bioconcentration of PCB was favoured by the absence of ortho chloro substitution in the biphenyls and a high level of chlorination.